The present invention relates to a system and method for handling electronic mail (email), and more particularly relates to a system and method for integrating the functionality of an email client and a document editing program.
Electronic mail (email) processing, rather than website browsing, is the primary use of the Internet and intranets today. Users are replacing conventional paper correspondence with email. As a result, users are tending to use their email application program (email client) as a document editing tool as well as for its original purpose of transmitting messages. As more and more documents are generated for the express purpose of transmission via email, email clients are becoming the document editors of choice, rather than word processing or other document editing programs. Unfortunately, email clients typically provide substandard document editing capabilities.
In the past there has been a tremendous difference between the editing and formatting options available for email messages and those available for documents generated by more sophisticated document editors. Email messages were generally restricted to the transmission of simple text and relied on formatting conventions that traced their history back to teletypes. For example, xe2x80x9cemoticonsxe2x80x9d such as :-), abbreviations such as  less than G greater than , and suggestive formatting such as _underline_ and *bold* were some of the ways utilized to express emotion or to draw emphasis within simple text messages.
While the formatting options available to email client users have remained fairly basic, the formatting options and editing features provided by word processors and other document editing programs have dramatically increased. For example, with a full powered word processor, the user is able to apply a wide variety of editing and formatting options. In addition to the richer formatting, full powered word processors provide powerful editing features, such as background spell checking and automatic correction of common typographical errors. Full powered word processors also allow users to create increasingly sophisticated and complex documents that include drawing objects, text colored with a highlighter, borders, shading, tables, and special bullets. Similarly, other rich editors, such as spreadsheet programs, database programs, and drawing programs provide document editing features far superior to even the most advanced email client available.
As the popularity of email has increased, four changes have taken place. First, some software publishers have added some rich editing capabilities to their email programs. Although this approach allowed a user to change the formatting used in an email message, it required users to edit email messages in an environment that was different than the word processor to which they were accustomed. In addition, the rich editor email programs simply do not possess the broad array of features common to sophisticated document editors.
A second approach has been to add some email capabilities to document editors. Although this simplified the process of sending a message that was created by the document editor, it presented several drawbacks. First, the recipient of the message needed to have a compatible document editor in order to read the message. Second, the editing environment is disconnected from the email environment. Third, this approach does not make it easier to read incoming email from various sources. Fourth, this approach does not accommodate the sending of file attachments to plain text or basic rich text (downlevel) email clients.
A third approach has been one in which users have decided to use a full power word processor for authoring sophisticated and complex documents, and then use email for distribution. This requires the user to work in the word processing context to create and edit the document. When the document is complete, the user must switch to the email program, create a new message, and include the word processor document as an xe2x80x9cattachmentxe2x80x9d. Although email is an effective mechanism for transporting documents, handling attachments requires several additional steps on the part of both the sender and the recipient of the message. Additionally, the attached document can only be used by a recipient of the message that has a compatible document editor in order to read the document.
Finally, a fourth approach has been one in which an email client invokes an object-enabled mail note to display an email message and related features of the user interface. The mail note provides a view port in which the document editor displays and edits the body of the email message. The document editor provides its formatting and editing features in the context of the mail note. Programming interfaces between the mail note and the document editor allow the mail note to translate message data back and forth between the document editor""s format and the format imposed by the email client. This allowed messages created with a word processor to be read by email clients. Unfortunately, this approach is inefficient because it requires a great deal of communication between the email client and the word processor, which reduces efficiency and consumes processor resources. Furthermore, this approach confuses users as to the availability of various functions of the email client and/or the document editor.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an efficient, intuitive system that allows users to create sophisticated documents for transmission via electronic mail or other transmission processes. Such a system should provide sophisticated formatting and editing options in the context of the email environment and should provide message data in a format that is compatible with downlevel email clients. The system should be capable of minimizing interaction between the email client and the document editor, in order to increase system efficiency.
The present invention satisfies the above-described needs by providing a system and method for integrating the functionality of an application program (e.g., an email client) into a document editor (e.g., word processor), such that the functionality is available to a user while the user is editing a document in the document editor. The present invention provides an improved system and method for editing, viewing, and transmitting electronic mail (email) messages. The invention employs an Envelope data architecture to provide the functionality of an email client within the user interface of a document editor (e.g., word processor, spreadsheet, database, etc.). The user can invoke the Envelope to access the email client""s functionality within the context of the document editor""s user interface. Alternatively, the user can invoke the Envelope to access the document editor""s functionality within the context of the email client""s user interface.
In one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for generating and editing an email message within the user interface provided by a document editor. An Envelope user interface is displayed to integrate the functionality of an email client within the user interface of the document editor. Envelope data associated with the Envelope is created by the user within the Envelope user interface and defines the parameters by which the email client will transmit the email message. Message Body data is also created by the user and constitutes the body of the email message. The Envelope can be invoked by the user while using the document editor""s user interface and causes the email client to transmit the email message in response to the user""s command. All Message Body data and Envelope data can be saved with a document, so that it is available when the user recalls the document for a subsequent editing session.
In another aspect of the invention, a computer system is provided for generating an email message within a document editor. The computer system displays the document editor""s user interface and the Envelope""s user interface. Envelope data and Message body data are created by the user and constitute the email message. The Envelope can be invoked by the user and causes the email client to transmit the email message in response to the user""s command and in accordance with the Envelope data.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a method is provided for integrating the functionality of a document editor into an email client. Envelope data and Message Body data are retrieved from a message data file. The method permits a user to utilize the editing capabilities of the document editor, to edit an email message within the context of the user interface of the email client. All Message Body data and Envelope data can be saved within the message data file, so that it is available when the user recalls the email message for a subsequent editing session.
The various aspects of the present invention may be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the disclosed embodiments and by reference to the drawings and claims.